Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions

Loans require repayment; grants are not repaid, provided that all grant requirements are met.

Businesses that have received other types of Federal assistance may be eligible; however, it is imperative that businesses demonstrate that there are no duplication of benefits.

Yes; however, if you receive Federal assistance at a later date, we will need to ensure that there are no duplication of benefits.

A contractor, independent from St. Johns County, has been designated to vet all applications and select businesses to receive funds based on meeting eligibility requirements and having submitted all required documents.

Yes, you will receive an automatic reply stating that you successfully submitted your application. An Application Identification Number will be generated for the purpose of tracking your application.

By June 19, 2020, all applicants will be notified whether they will receive funds.

Businesses approved for funding will receive the funds via Electronic Funds Transfer.

No, all applications must be submitted online, with supporting documentation uploaded.

Assistance with completing the application is available; call 904-209-1278 or email btb@sjcfl.us.

There are several commercial mobile apps, such as CamScanner (https://www.camscanner.com/), that have free and easy-to-use mobile scan and share functions. From your phone, this app allows you to scan documents and upload them to the grant application.

The County has computers for public use, Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (closed on holidays), in the Resource Center located in Suite 2300 of the Health and Human Services Building located at 200 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Appointments are not required. However, if you need use of a computer and desire technical assistance with the application at the same time, please schedule an appointment by calling 904-209-1278. The County’s library branches are also offering limited public access to computers; please call your local branch for updated hours of availability (https://sjcpls.org/branches/).

This is the first phase of a program; the program may be expanded if the Federal government makes more funds available to the County. In the event that all current funds are expended, all unfunded applications will remain in the que for funding consideration through 12/31/20. If the County obtains additional funding, applications from this que will be selected for funding.

You will have to certify that the money was spent on allowable uses and provide documentation. Businesses must submit a grant report after 90 days from the date the grant was given.

Information will be requested regarding payroll, profit/loss stemming from the pandemic, and County business tax information. All information you provide is subject to Florida’s public records laws.

All records related to this grant must be available for review for a period of five years, should the County or HUD select your business records for auditing.

Home-based businesses and independent contractors are not eligible.

If your business has a physical location in St. Johns County and a current St. Johns County tax receipt, you are eligible to apply.

Due to Federal requirements, non-profit organizations are not eligible for this grant.

You may apply for one grant per St. Johns County tax receipt you possess.

Yes, the number calculated by the application reflects the business's working capital deficit for the three months (90 days) following March 17, 2020.

Current assets are the cash and other assets of the business that are expected to be converted to cash within a year. Current liabilities are a company's short-term financial obligations that are due within one year or within a normal operating cycle.

No, a password cannot be re-set. Therefore, you will need to start over and complete a new application.

No, an application cannot be accessed, changed, or updated after it has been submitted. If a business finds the need to include additional information or edit the information after an application was submitted, the business will need to complete and submit a new application.

No, all applications must be submitted online by 5:00 PM on June 1, 2020.

Yes. St. Johns County is one of the Florida counties which collects Local Business Taxes (formerly known as Occupational Licenses).  Payment of the Local Business Tax allows you the right to do business in St. Johns County and is paid annually with the fiscal year being October 1 through September 30.  Additional information on the Local Business Tax can be found on the SJC Tax Collector's website, https://www.sjctax.us/BusinessTax.aspx, or obtained by calling 904-209-2250.

The St. Johns County business account number is located in the top right corner of the Business Tax Receipt slip or, you can obtain it online at http://stjohnstaxcollector.governmax.com/collectmax/collect30.asp.

Additional information on the Local Business Tax can be found on the SJC Tax Collector's website, https://www.sjctax.us/BusinessTax.aspx, or obtained by calling 904-209-2250.

Some types of businesses can obtain a St. Johns County business tax  account number on the same day they apply for it, while it may take longer for other types of businesses. For additional information, visit the SJC Tax Collector's website, https://www.sjctax.us/BusinessTax.aspx, or call 904-209-2250.

No, the term 1099 "employee" typically refers to self-employed workers or independent contractors; they are generally not employees, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service.  However, as a sole proprietor, your business may still be eligible for this grant.

All Back to Business Grant funds must be spent within the 90-day performance period, which starts on the day you receive the funds.

The application is tested throughout each day to ensure it is operational. We have found that the application may work better in certain browsers. If you experience difficulties with the application, please try using a different browser. Also, making sure your computer's operating software has been recently updated may make submitting the application easier. Some applicants stated that they could not complete the application on a tablet, but when they tried their laptop, they were able to complete and submit the application. Some applicants have reported that uploading PDF files was more successful than uploading JPEGs; however, the application was designed to accept both types of documents.

Your business is eligible if you can show proof that the business was operating for the required time period prior to the date you purchased it. Acceptable documentation includes expired tax receipts, tax returns from prior years, or a lease/mortgage.

Your business is eligible if you can show proof that the business was operating for the required time period prior to the date it was registered as an LLC.

If your application was successfully submitted, you should have received an email like this:

If you believe you have submitted an application and did not receive this type of email, please email or call us before 5:00 PM on Monday, June 1, 2020.

If you did receive an email like the one above, we cannot provide any additional verification that your application was received because all submitted applications are managed in an off-site server; therefore, we do not have access to submitted applications at this time.

All submitted applications are managed in an off-site server; therefore, we do not have access to submitted applications at this time. If needed, we will be able to send copies of an application sometime after June 20, 2020.

All submitted applications are managed in an off-site server; therefore, we do not have access to submitted applications at this time and cannot verify the contents of your application.